The curious case of Pakistan

After the disqualification of the three time prime-minister, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan faces a bigger crisis as it enters its 71st year of independence. The question here is who will be the next prime minister.

Though Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League party, which enjoys a comfortable majority in parliament, nominated Sharif’s longtime loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for the top slot on Saturday. Sharif proposed Abbasi as interim prime minister until his brother Shahbaz Sharif, who is the chief minister of Punjab province, can contend in a by-election for the seat left vacant by his brother’s disqualification.

Sharif was disqualified by Supreme court of the basis of not being ‘honest’ and ‘righteous’. The probe was carried on due to petitions filed by the conservative Jamaat-e-Islami party and cricket player-turned-politician Imran Khan.

The followers of Khan celebrated Supreme court’s verdict by dancing on beats of drums and chanting slogans as well as holding placards with “Prime-Minister Imran Khan” written over it.

Imran Khan with former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif

So it seems Mr. Khan can give a stiff competition to Mr. Sharif’s party. Now the thing is that the military has always had upper hand in the politics of Islamabad. For last seven decades no Pakistani civilian government has completed its full term. It will be intriguing to see how cards unfold at Islamabad.